AN EAGLE FOR CHRIST?: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 16TH JUNE 2018

MEMORISE:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14

READ: Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

MESSAGE

I have taught my children on several occasions to imbibe the characteristics of eagle. One of these outstanding characteristics is that eagles fly alone. It is not out of pride or the empty feeling of self-sufficiency that they do this; rather, it is because keeping company with other birds during flight is a form of weight and distraction for them.

A disciple of Christ must emulate this attribute of the eagle if he or she would safely arrive home in heaven at the end of his or her life.

The problem with many children of God is that they seem to have lost sight of the fact that the path they are following is so narrow that it cannot accommodate a crowd (Matthew 7:14). This is the reason why a disciple of Jesus Christ must possess this characteristic of flying alone.

In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, Paul clearly admonished that evil communication corrupts good manners:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?”

It is disheartening to note that there are many wolves in sheep's clothing in the Church today, which is why every purposeful believer needs to have the mindset of an eagle.

Another noteworthy characteristic of eagles is that they are selective about what they eat and where they live. Moreover, they never fly against the wind. As a purposeful believer, you also must be selective about what you consume: what you listen to, what you look at and what you expose your mind to.

What you regularly feed your spirit, soul and body with will determine what you will draw on in the day of trouble. You just be selective of the company you keep because your companions strongly influence what you are exposed to. Like the eagle that never flies against the wind, the purposeful believer must also be mindful of the move of the Holy Spirit and ensure that he or she is never aligned against His work.

Beloved, I encourage you to choose to be an eagle for Christ from today, and the Lord will renew your strength according to Isaiah 40:31. You cannot fly by your own strength, but the Holy Spirit wil help you if only you give yourself completely to Jesus Christ today.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, make me an eagle for Christ today and cause me to fly for You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 14-15, Acts 11:19-12:5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.